A method and arrangement for exchanging container-receivers formed by cellular members of a filling machine, in particular a machine for filling food and beverage products into containers.
The invention relates to a method of exchanging cellular members having container-receiving means in a filling machine, in particular a machine for filling food and beverage products into containers, in which the cellular members are driven by transport means and can, as the need arises, be exchanged with cellular members having container receiving means of a different format. An arrangement and method of the afore-described type is disclosed in the co-assigned German Patent No. 3538993.
When exchanging the products to be dispensed by the filling machine, respectively the format of the to be filled containers, it is necessary not only to readjust the working stations of the container filling machine, but also to exchange the cellular members with new cellular members which are formatted for containers of a different type or shape. It is precisely this exchange of cellular members which is quite time-consuming and, due to the juxtaposed arrangement of the containers in a row, can only be carried out with great difficulties.
Thus, it is not only necessary to remove the cellular members and exchange them with new ones, but also to precisely orient the new cellular members in the filling machine, so that, for example, in the sealing station, wherein the cellular member acts as a backstop for the sealing tool the cellular member is precisely positioned in confronting relationship thereto. Finally there must be assured that during assembly and disassembly no damage to the cellular members themselves and/or their connection to the transport means occurs. Moreover if an exact orientation and therewith a flawfree sealing process is no longer possible, then the imperishable character of the filled product can, under certain conditions, be significantly affected so that the entire production process must be interrupted.
According to the proposal of the afore-mentioned published German co-assigned patent No. P 3538993 investigations have already been made how to produce an improved exchange of the cellular members and how to avoid a damage to such a cellular member as well as how in particular to reduce the exchange time by means of automating the process. This can be achieved by arranging and manipulating together a magazine with a new cellular member, after an exchange, relative to a magazine which receives the to be exchanged cellular member. The insertion and removal of the cellular member results automatically, whereby the magazine can assume the shape of a drum, so that its compact constructional form, which takes up a reduced space, is available and thereby the mounting of the most different cellular members, which can remain in the to be exchanged drum, require very little space. In view of the fact that the exchange and manipulation of the cellular members for purposes of automation is effected by means of suction cups, whereby a reproducible precise positioning within the machine is achieved, there exists the danger, that when the pressurized air level drops the suction cups no longer function properly and thereby the cellular members drop of, so that the safety of operation is considerably reduced. Furthermore, there can be mounted only cellular members of a particular format in the magazine of this known arrangement.